CéU

"I feel that Americans are not used to listening to a language other than theirs, but at the same time they've been so receptive. Europe, especially France, is used to listening to things of the world, mainly Brazilian and African, so it's a world that they know. Here I feel it's not so common, but the reception has been great.” - CéU

Hailed as the new voice of Brazil, CéU is the latest South American chanteuse to take the world by storm. Her brilliant self-titled debut album became available in North America after enjoying solid international sales for more than two years.

SEX APPEAL

CéU’s sexiness isn’t immediately apparent to the casual observer. After all, she doesn’t have outrageous curves or wanton bedroom eyes. What she does have is one of the most seductive voices you’ll hear this year. Warm, sensual and just a little bit sultry, her voice creates the kind of sonic sensations that make men and women alike shiver with delight.

SUCCESS

Get used to hearing CéU’s name. Although she’s just beginning to infiltrate the American market, this Latin Grammy nominee is already an international star with large fan bases in South America, Holland, Italy, and France -- where Les Inrockuptibles recognized her as one of the top five musical revelations of 2005. CéU has also achieved a modicum of success in French-speaking Canada where she became the fourth-highest selling artist for the Archambault chain of music stores in 2007.

CéU Biography

Maria do Céu Whitaker Poças was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1980. The daughter of a well-known local musicologist, she was exposed to the music of Brazil’s finest classical composers from an early age. Luckily, she was also given room to explore her own musical preferences, and by the age of 15, CéU made the conscious decision to become a professional singer. Over the following three years she split her time between studying music theory, training on the viola and performing on stage with some of Sao Paulo’s most accomplished musicians.

céu in new york

Convinced that her future lay beyond the borders of Brazil, CéU left her native soil at the age of 18 for the bright lights of New York City. It proved to be a savvy decision as the Big Apple introduced her to a whole new world of musical sensations, including Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. “I started listening to artists that I wasn't aware of,” she says. “Singers and songwriters that put their toes into hip-hop. Until then, I only listened to Brazilian music.”

céu and antonio pinto

While in New York, CéU also had a chance encounter with fellow Brazilian musician Antonio Pinto, the critically acclaimed composer of the musical scores for Central Station and City of God. The pair, who learned they were distant cousins, immediately hit it off and Pinto offered to record CéU’s self-titled debut album.

Following the completion of the album, CéU returned home to Sao Paulo where she spent her time performing with a samba funk outfit and later an electro-dance group. Fortunately, it didn’t take long before her talent and natural charisma had the entire industry abuzz and she was soon signed to a record deal with Urban Jungle, an indie label that agreed to distribute her previously completed record.

céu earns a latin grammy nomination

The album, which beautifully fuses urban sounds and Afro-Brazilian tradition, quickly found a niche with audiences and critics alike, and CéU was rewarded for her efforts with a Best New Artist of the Year nomination at the 2006 Latin Grammy Awards. Naturally, the nomination prompted a groundswell of new interest in CéU and she signed a deal with Six Degrees records to reissue her album in the United States.

céu at starbucks

Released on April 3, 2007, CéU’s enchanting record is available at Starbucks as part of the chain’s growing music series, Hear Music Debut. CéU also completed a successful tour of America, which included several sold-out shows.